As the value and use of information increases, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available for such a purpose is the information handling system. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
As processors, graphics cards, random access memory (RAM), and other components in information handling systems increase in clock speed and power consumption, the amount of heat produced by such components as a side-effect of normal operation has also increased. The temperatures of these components should be kept within a reasonable range to prevent overheating, instability, malfunction, damage, reduced performance, and shortened component lifespan. Accordingly, cooling systems, which may include cooling fans, blowers, and liquid, are included in information handling systems to cool information handling systems and their components.
Cooling systems for information handling systems are often designed to provide sufficient cooling for system components based on a worst-case scenario. Because they are designed to support system operation in a worst-case scenario, cooling systems often provide more cooling than is needed. For example, a user who places a greater load on system components might require greater cooling capabilities than a user who places a lesser load on system components. One user may place a computer in an enclosed location where there is little external airflow, such as next to a wall, while another user may place an computer in an open location with substantial external airflow, such as in the middle of an open room. A user who uses a computer in a warm location would have different cooling requirements from a user who uses a computer in a cooler location. Furthermore, environmental and use conditions that affect cooling system demand may change over time with the changing of the seasons or changing of a user's demands on the system. A computer cooling system designed to provide sufficient cooling in a worst-case scenario of high ambient temperature and high load may provide more cooling than is necessary in situations where the computer is used in a location with a lower ambient temperature and/or with less load. Conventional cooling systems for computers and other information handling systems do not adapt to environment, use, or other factors because the cooling systems are designed for the worst-case scenario. However, this can result in overcooling and reduced efficiency when the worse-case scenario does not reflect the actual conditions.
Shortcomings mentioned here are only representative and are included simply to highlight that a need exists for improved cooling control systems, particularly for cooling control systems employed in information handling systems, such as data centers and personal computing devices. Embodiments described herein address certain shortcomings but not necessarily each and every one described here or known in the art. Furthermore, embodiments described herein may present other benefits than, and be used in other applications than, those of the shortcomings described above.